Industrial policy – recommendations

The European Commission published on November 5th the recommendations by a group of experts, the Strategic Forum on Important Projects of Common European Interest, to boost Europe’s competitiveness and global leadership in six strategic and future-oriented industrial sectors: Connected, clean and autonomous vehicles; Hydrogen technologies and systems; Smart health; Industrial Internet of Things; Low-carbon industry; and Cybersecurity.

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Minimum wages in 2019

According to the Eurofound’s annual review of minimum wages in the EU, there have been wage increases for minimum and low-wage earners in most EU Member States, with rises in statutory minimum wages in almost all countries since January 2018; including significant increases in Lithuania, Spain, Greece and low-wage newer Member States. While these increases are welcomed as good news for minimum wage workers, Eurofound’s research shows workers may not automatically feel the positive impacts of these changes in terms of income and reductions in wage inequality. This is because these increases can be offset by changes in taxation; that there are many groups of workers that do not avail of minimum rates; and, although women are proportionately more likely to work in minimum wage jobs, increasing the minimum wage may not mean closing the gender pay gap.

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Trading practices in the agricultural and food supply chain

The EU will soon have more effective tools to tackle unfair trading practices (UTPs) in the agri-food chain, and to prevent the weaker bargaining position of small and medium-sized farmers from being exploited by larger operators, such as major processors and retailers according to the press release of Council of the EU.

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